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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mark — a grade
  3. court — for sport
  4. file — a tool
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. file — a line of people
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. file — a document
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. branch — a division
  11. key — the most important part
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. tube — a container
  15. court — of a king
  16. tube — the underground
  17. court — of law
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mark — a trace
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com